Transcript Policymaking for Health Care and the Environment

POLICY MAKING FOR
HEALTH CARE, THE
ENVIRONMENT AND
ENERGY
Health Care Policy
• The Health of
Americans
• Americans generally
lag behind other similar
countries in some key
health statistics.
• Most significantly,
Americans have a
lower life expectancy
and higher infant
mortality rate
• America spends more
than any other country.
Health Care Policy
• Access to Health Care
• Health Insurance.
• Millions of Americans
have no health
insurance.
• Health insurance is
usually linked to having
a job.
• About 20 million
Americans have
inadequate health
insurance.
Health Care Policy
• Access to Health Care
• Managed Care.
• HMOs provide health care
for a yearly fee through
contracts or insurance
companies.
• About 60 percent of
Americans are covered by
HMOs
• Designed to reduce costs
through oversight and
limiting patient choices.
Health Care Policy
• The Role of Government in
Health Care
• Medicare: provides
hospitalization insurance for
elderly and optional coverage
for other medical expenses.
• Medicaid: a public assistance
program to provide health
care for the poor. Paid for by
the national and state
governments.
Clinton and Health Care Reform
• Several taxes would have
increased, all of which were
opposed by those who would pay
them.
• States were to negotiate with
providers and handle premiums,
plans and payments.
• The health care industry lobbied
hard against it.
• It eventually died in Congress, even
though Democrats controlled both
houses of Congress.
ACA/Obamacare
• Requires insurance companies to cover pre-
existing conditions
• Requires Americans to purchase health
insurance/single payer provision
• The Supreme Court upheld Obamacare under
the government’s taxation power
Environmental Policy
Environmental Protection Agency
• Environmental Impact Statements:
report that specifies likely
environmental impact of a proposed
action- filed with the EPA.U
• Environmental Impact Statements
by environmental groups to
challenge and delay projects they
object to.
• Clean Air Act of 1970: reduce auto
pollution.
Environmental Policy
Water Pollution Control
Act of 1972
•Intended to clean up the
nation’s rivers and lakes,
requiring the use of
pollution control
technology
•Has helped reclaim
numerous rivers and lakes
since its passage.
•But it misses “runoff”
pollution from city streets
and other areas.
Environmental Policy
• Wilderness Preservation.
• The U.S. is a world
leader in wilderness
preservation.
• The national parks and
national forests may be
restricted to keep them
for future generations.
• Endangered Species Act
• Government protects
those species listed as
endangered, regardless
of costs. This prevents
development.
Environmental Policy
• Toxic Wastes
• Chemicals and nuclear fuel
that are hazardous to humans
and animals.
• Superfund: created in 1980 to
clean up hazardous waste
sites.
• Some sites are completely
clean, others may never be
clean enough to use for
anything.
• Current law requires tracking
of hazardous chemicals and
their disposal.
Energy Policy
Sources
of
Energy
Energy Policy
• 87% of the nation’s energy
comes from coal, oil and
natural gas.
• The most controversial
energy source is nuclear,
especially after the
earthquake in Japan.
• Policymakers have shown
more interest in conservation,
alternative fuels and
renewable fuel sources.